


Christmas Kids

by BadRomantic



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Aaron is smart and obedient, Accidental makeout, Fantasizing, He's my character development tbh, James wyd, M/M, Mentions of Blood, No graphic scenes of noncon, Nonconsensual hickey making, Pessimistic!Alexander, Possible Alexander Hamilton/Aaron burr glimmering in the distance, Sloppy Kissing, Stockholm Syndrome, Thomas is slightly delusional with a kickstart of possessiveness, Undertones of submissive and dominant, does that even make sense, hunted animals, hunting animals mention, i think, just unwanted touches n kisses, kidnap au, skin pelts, small violence like barely anything tbh, stuffed animal trophies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-08-31 07:58:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8570647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadRomantic/pseuds/BadRomantic
Summary: Aaron Burr wakes up in an unfamiliar pen, without his sight and without his hands. Not that they were forcibly taken away, he was just simply bandaged. What wasn't so simple was that he was kidnapped by someone who he can't seem to recall having any relations too and finds out that he's been planning this for quiet some time. What can he do to stay alive long enough for him to make a plan to escape?





	1. Ronnette

Aaron groaned softly as he slowly came to. It was cold; his skin felt like he had frostbite. Aaron slowly opened his eyes, numbly realizing that there was something covering his vision. A bandana, maybe? He moaned softly, mouth feeling like he was chewing pennies and cotton. He tried moving his hands, quickly becoming aware that they too were bandaged and placed skillfully behind his back. What happen to him? He tried his legs, stretching them out and then testing them to see if he could maneuver himself into sitting up. Whoever tied him up forgot to restrain his legs, so Aaron supposed that was a good thing. He sat up, slouching forward due to pain in his upper back through his shoulders. He must have been laying here for a while.

Aaron shifted his body timidly, attempting to slip his arms under his legs and in front of himself so that he could tear off whatever was over his eyes. From what he could manage, there was no noticeable lighting in the room through the fabric of the bandana, and his eyes would adjust quickly to help him see what was around his wrists. As he squirmed, Aaron tried multiple ways as to bring his arms to his front, most of which causing a sharp chatter of pins-and-needles to prickle his skin and make him arch in misery. He sincerely didn’t like this position he was in.

Giving up to take a short break, he took a slow breath and nipped his bottom lip anxiously. Where did he remember himself last? The parking lot of his apartments. He was there to go back and pick up his phone, which by Golly, he obviously left in his apartment. Aaron bitterly scolded himself, rolling his eyes from behind the blindfold and stifled a sigh. That was dumb on his part. He thought back to the moment, trying to recall what happen. At first he was walking to his apartment door, shuffling with his keys, and then he was out. Maybe somebody had hit him? No, that would be unlikely. Could he possibly have been subdued by chloroform? Aaron pondered the idea, deciding that was the best bet on what had happen to him.

How long has he been out, though? A stronger dose of chloroform that kept him knocked out longer than fifteen minutes would have killed him, logically. So, maybe the source of the drug is from something else? Suspicious activity with drinks he has taken in? Aaron knitted his eyebrows together in thought, going through his practical lawyer analyzation. He jumped when the squeak of a heavy-sounding door creaked open, slowly and ominously. Aaron tensed up, drawing his legs to curl up so that if he wished, he could his his face in his knees to avoid anything causing fractures to his jaw or nose. He didn’t want a face full of blood, if it came to that.

“You’re up,”

Aaron paused, trying to study the voice quickly and efficiently. He can’t recall ever hearing that voice before. He gave a numb nod, swallowing down the bile that was rising to his tongue as steps started nearing him. He wanted to curl in on himself, like he would of as a child. He felt a strong sense of hopelessness flood, pressing himself into the tightest ball he could with the current position he was in.

“Are you hungry?” The voice tempted, sounding oddly soothing despite the toxicity of the situation.

“No, Thank you, sir.” Aaron said carefully, hearing the slight creak of the floor as whoever the man was knelt down either beside him or in front of him.

“You’re suppose to eat somewhere during the first hour of when you wake up. I think you should eat.” The man said, sounding less soothing and slightly irritated. Aaron made a quick decision, giving a quick nod and forced his body not to flinch away at the fingers that traced his jawline. He felt sick to his stomach.

“You’re right, sir. Pardon me.” He said carefully, once again. He didn’t want to make this guy mad.

“You’re alright.” The man hummed, sounding pleased that Aaron complied, “Let’s get you on your feet, alright?”

“Yes sir.” Aaron nodded, slightly worried and tried to prepare himself. The man gently helped him up, courteous enough not to touch him anywhere that was naturally deemed inappropriate. Slowly, he maneuvered him to walk forward, than to the left and up stairs. Aaron stumbled around the first step, earning a small chuckle similar to one a parent would give if their child did something humorous and out-of-the-normal. Aaron wanted to ask where he was, what was happening, and why the man was so persistent on getting him to eat, but he decided that those questions could be saved for later. He didn’t want to say something now that he would regret in the future.

“Do you have any allergies?” The man asked, stopping Aaron when they presumably got to the floor they needed too. Aaron had a haunting suspicion that he was locked in a basement.

“I can’t have certain spices.” Aaron said softly, timid to the mans reaction.

“Alright.” He seemed calm enough.

As they walked to a new room, Aaron took in the warmth of the upstairs and prayed that it would heat up his bitterly cold skin. He stopped abruptly when the man placed a hand over his chest, forcing him to halt. Aaron heard a scratch of a chair being dragged across the floor, set behind himself, and settled down. He was slowly sat down cautiously, asked quietly if he was comfortable. Aaron nodded in response, breath catching in his throat as a hand held the back of his neck dominantly and hot air tickled his neck.

“You’re being so good. I’m glad I got you.” He whispered, nuzzling his skin. Aaron shuddered, eyes widening in shock.

“Be a good boy, sit here and I’ll come back with a treat.” The man hummed, pulling away and left his neck completely. He felt even colder than he was before. As steps left him, he swallowed thickly and took slow, deep breathes. He felt like he was going to freak out at any given moment.

 _I’m glad I got you?_ He repeated mentally, heart tapping his ribcage rapidly,  _Be a good boy._

Aaron bit his bottom lip, feeling it tremble with the threat of a sob. He's not going to get caught up in this, not emotionally. He needs to be logical and precise about this situation and how to deal with it. He was obviously referring to him being his kidnap, however, he made it sound like he had other people he was interested in taking. How many times has he done this before? How closely has he studied him and other people? Aaron shivered, wondering if he was grateful that he was his chosen victim or bitter. He didn't know; he didn't want to think about it. He wanted to see what was happening around him; he wanted to see his older sister, Sally, and maybe even his rambunctious friend Matthias. He suddenly ached for his friend, silently wondering if he'd ever get the opportunity to have communication with him.

Aaron brushed off the worrying, pausing when he heard a whistle and steps approaching. He wasn't sure what to expect. It smelt of cheese, and he could hear the subtle fizz of... soda? Aaron straightened up, paying as close attention as he could to the sounds happening around him.

"You're so patient, such a good boy," The man cooed to him sickly, dragging a chair in front of Aaron. He assumed the man was going to sit in front of him to hand-feed him whatever he prepared.

"Thank you, sir," Aaron said cautiously, tilting his head slightly when fingers brushed his cheek. He felt disgusted. Who was this man? Who was touching him; treating him like a pet?

"Open your mouth," He ordered calmly, sounding pleased by his response.

 _As long as I can keep him pleased, I'll be safe._ Aaron analyzed, slowly opening his mouth and jumped when something with a tough texture pressed against his lips. He timidly nibbled the corner, perking in surprise at the realization that it was grilled cheese. He leaned forward, taking a sharp bite and swallowed after a quick moment of chewing. He hadn't noticed how much his stomach ached for food until the protein was in front of him. He hummed out his approval, which was overpowered by the man's hearty laugh. "Don't eat too fast, okay?" 

He nodded, relieved to feel the sandwich against his lips again and ate just as he was instructed to. It was a beautiful change to the copper that rested on his tongue. His tastebuds were beginning to wake up, thriving and cheering at the wonderful bliss the grilled cheese dubbed him with. When he finished the sandwich, which was quicker than he'd care to admit, he mumbled a quick  _Thank you_ with all the sincerity he owned. 

"Shh, you don't need to thank me." He hushed, placing something cold and metallic against Aaron's bottom lip, "I don't currently have straws, so you're gonna have to work with me on this. It's Coke."

 _Soda,_ Aaron thought, praising himself for guessing the beverage correctly. He nodded subtly, tilting his head along with the pop to help guide it into his mouth and shuddered when it finally poured in. He took slow gulps, careful to pace himself. As he was drinking, he could feel a hand starting to go up and down his spine. Almost as if he was trying to comfort him while he drank. Aaron hummed when he felt like he wasn't thirsty anymore, settling back on the seat (He was careful to leave room for the hand that was touching him). He felt relatively calmed down, especially knowing that the man hasn't done anything yet to harm him. Not that he knew of, at least.

"You're a good boy, Burr, such a good boy." He purred. Aaron heard the chair the man was sitting on scoot closer, blinking in surprise at the realization that his legs were being lifted to wrap around the man's waist. Burr tensed up, his heart rate quickening it's pace at the realization that the man wasn't actually comforting him by rubbing his back, he was  _petting him._

"Sir," Aaron said softly, slowly, "I... I can't see you, sir. Please? May I see you?"

"If you're good for the rest of the day," The man hummed thoughtfully, quickly adding, "and please, call me Thomas."

"Thomas." Aaron whispered, nodding softly and ran the name through his head. He knew lots of Thomas's, that one name wouldn't help him a bit. "Last name?"

"Jefferson. My name is Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr." 

His spine got a shiver, skin returning to it's cold state when he used his full name. He said it dominantly, with so much power over him that Aaron could only suspect that he was a man of high honor. Aaron swallowed, nodding hesitantly and gave a noise of surprise in the back of his throat when a hand started rubbing him under the chin, like an owner would do to his pet cat. He tilted his head, trying to leave the rubbing, but instead seemed to edge it on when Thomas brought both hands to touch and trace his jawline, chin, neck, and collarbone. Aaron wasn't use to this attention; he rarely let his own sister hug him.

"You'll be a good boy for me, won't you, Burr?" Thomas asked quietly, coaxing Aaron to talk just as softly.

"Yes sir- Thomas. Yes, Thomas, I'll be good..." He agreed, choking a hum when the touches and rubbings got more feverous. 

"Good boy." Thomas whispered, voice border-lining a growl. Aaron wished he knew what he got himself into, because he could only imagine what exactly Thomas had in store for him. None of it could possibly be good, he was sure... but Aaron Burr was a smart man. He'd break out eventually; even if he'd have to risk his life for it.

"How about we talk?" Thomas suggested, sounding much less dark and now bouncy and playful. Aaron quickly latched onto that playfulness, wanting to have the best experience possible out of this situation.

"Okay, How has your day been?" Aaron asked, making the first motion of conversation. It was good to remain in control during this situations.

"Fantastic, I had a nice time seeing my friend and I came home to see my precious Burr awake and moving." Thomas sounded like he had an infatuation with him. Aaron swallowed thickly, nodding slowly, "Who may your friend be?" He asked.

"A charming fellow named James, I'm sure you'd adore him. You can see him when you're more comfortable with the new surroundings."

 _James must be apart of this,_ Aaron suspected, nodding again to acknowledge his statement.

"What types of movies do you enjoy, Burr?" Jefferson asked, and Burr felt the flicker of a smile twitch on his face. The question was so innocent, it was too sweet for this bitter exchange.

"I enjoy comedies." He said softly.

"What about romance?" Jefferson tempted, to which Burr felt another smile come to his face, "I enjoy romances too. Horror movies are my one downfall."

"Scare easily?" Thomas hummed, sounding curious and amused.

"Don't scare at all." Aaron sighed as an answer, pausing when the rubbing to his under-chin stopped and moved to petting his back again. Aaron closed his eyes, deciding to sink into the touching. It wasn't all too bad, just a bit of odd petting and sly pet-names. Aaron was slowly starting to sense a pattern.

"Tell me about your family, Burr," Thomas hummed, a little demandingly. Aaron decided that if he did study him long enough, he would have noticed a pattern with him and his kin; He rarely spoke to them. Sally, his oldest sister, never spoke to him unless she needed to know specific information and Aaron avoided his Grandfather at all cost. He hated looking at him and seeing the disappointment in his eyes. Aaron Burr knew he was nothing to be disappointed about. The life of a lawyer is much more exhilarating than that of a Minister, and he's glad he chose different.

"I don't talk to them." Aaron admitted, pushing into the hand that touched his back, "I guess you can say I avoid 'em."

"What for?" Jefferson asked, surprise clear in his voice.

"The usual shtick, huh?" Aaron asked, smiling a little bitterly now. Look at him, making normal conversation with the man who kidnapped him and was treating him like a pampered house cat, "Rebelled against expectations, discarded by older Sister, it's the normal for my generation."

"Yet you grew up to be so magnificent and breathtaking." Thomas whispered. The words hit Burr like a ton of bricks, causing his breath to catch in his throat and his face to flicker with shock and maybe,  _possibly,_ a hint of disbelief. He wasn't expecting him to come back with that. He was expecting the conversation to be light and fruitful. Aaron tilted his head down, slightly ashamed that he was at a lost for words- for the first time in his life.

"It's true," Thomas continued, his other hand that wasn't petting his back holding Aaron's chin and tilting it up to probably face the man. And if he was angled correctly to Jefferson's face, the man has got to be the tallest person he's met, "You're so beautiful. Graceful, even."

Aaron laughed bitterly at the description. He was the clumsiest person alive- he hit his head on the same bar  _twice_. "I'm not graceful." He scoffed, quickly reminding himself that he was suppose to stay on Thomas's good side. Anxiety flooded his senses when silence filled the room. He could hear his heart beat. Aaron waited to get yelled at, maybe even growled at through clenched teeth, but instead he felt something drag against his lips and press into him. When Aaron started feeling a shift between them, he realized that Thomas was  _kissing_ him. Anxiety was quickly replaced with shock and disgust.

He gave a loud squeak, opening his mouth to snap at Jefferson about courtesy and instead got a mouthful of wet tongue. It was a sloppy exchange, and Aaron had no choice but to fight the offending tongue away with his own and slightly bite his teeth down on it. However, Jefferson took it as a tease and moved his hands to cup his cheeks, forcing the kiss to get deeper and much more breath-taking than Aaron expected it to be. He was leaning back in his chair now, Thomas looming over him with their chests pressing against one another and mouth pushing back and forth- one looking for oxygen and the other wanting to get rougher with the kiss. When they parted, Aaron was panting loudly and Thomas was backing off fully, as though he himself wasn't expecting the kiss to last that long and needed a small break. Aaron tossed his head back, still trying to refill his aching lungs with the necessary oxygen. He definitely wasn't expecting  _that._

 _"Don't do that again."_ He said pleadingly, head spinning from the rush of blood. He felt like he was going to pass out again.

"I'll do what I want, when I want," Thomas scoffed back at him, though sounded more playful than he did angry. Aaron silently prayed that he would get some type of warning next time that does happen.


	2. My Dear

Aaron sat alone on a couch. Thomas got a call a few minutes after he kissed him, so he tartly picked him up and tossed him on the couch presumably in the living-room. Aaron couldn't figure out how large the room was, but the air was cold and it felt like a window was open. He tempted the idea of calling out for help, but he figured without his sight, it would be a shot in the dark and he more-than-likely would get in trouble. He couldn't risk it. Aaron bitterly reminded himself how sensitive the situation was. He shifted lightly against the spine of the couch, trying once again to bring his arms out from behind his back to his front. His elbows and shoulders were beginning to feel locked up, much like his legs used to do as a small child. He winced in pain when he rolled his wrist and rubbed against his already raw skin.

 _Please, Lord, take mercy on me and give some type of grace,_ He prayed, stifling a sigh. It's been a while, how long does someone stay on the phone?

Aaron strained his ears, trying to listen for the hearty laugh Thomas owned, or even some muffled conversation. Instead of what he expected, though, he got the soft echoes of footsteps approaching. Aaron quickly straightened out, anxiously biting down on his lip and pulling at the top layer of skin. He didn't know what to do anymore. At first, he thought being civil and friendly was the way to go, but now that he's practiced that option he realizes that it only influenced Thomas to turn affectionate. Disgust shuddered up and down his spine.

"Little Burr?" Jefferson prompted. The familiar nickname shot a painful surprise to his heart, causing his lungs to stop working for a split second. He hasn't heard that nickname since he was in College. He choked out a "Yes, sir?" and squeezed his eyes shut when Thomas sat beside him, running a hand up and down his back again. The petting was the least of his worries, he could feel Thomas leaning forward to breath against his neck.

"It's Thomas." He whispered, voice cold. Aaron nodded and quickly corrected himself, "Yes, Thomas?"

"I'm needed to help a colleague. I'm going to place you back down to your room." Jefferson informed, sounding less strict and suddenly sympathetic.

Aaron's heart dropped, a sick feeling coiling in his gut. He doesn't want to be left alone again, including in the dark and in the cold. He felt a shiver rake down his spine, stuttering on his response, "I don't want to be down there."

"I know," Thomas whispered into his skin, tickling him a bit, "I'll take off your blindfold and ties, okay? Would that make you feel better?"

Aaron hesitated. Yeah, it would, but he was still going to be alone. At least now he could start working on someway to escape. Aaron nodded numbly, whispering a "Yes, thank you, Thomas."

"I'm gonna lift you up." Thomas warned.

Aaron waited patiently, feeling his hands go under his legs and back to lift him up bridal style. He tensed, careful to not lean on his chest or give any indication that this was consensual. He can't let another thing happen- it was a puzzle. To his benefit-of-the-doubt, he hated puzzles, but he was good at them. Aaron jumped when Thomas opened a door without touching it with his hand, assuming that he kicked it open. In this moment, Aaron did lean back into him to keep physics from causing him to drop out of his hold and bounce down the stairs. He winced at the idea of it happening, brushing it away along with the shame that pooled up at Thomas's hum of approval.

"When I set you down, I'm going to untie your hands. Don't remove your blindfold until I say so." Thomas whispered, settling Aaron down on the cold floor with him on his knees. He nodded, sitting back on his heels and felt relief flicker in his chest as the ties on his wrists started loosening up, than disappeared altogether. He brought them to his front, gently sucking the raw skin and shuddered at the pin-and-needles sensation that came from his shoulders.

"Such a good boy," Thomas purred, pausing Burr in his self-aftercare. He quickly dropped his wrists into his lap, forcing his body to relax as he heard footsteps distance themselves from him. Was Thomas not going to let him see his face? Aaron furrowed his eyebrows together, silently praising him on his intelligence. It was a smart move, not letting the victim see his face. Than Aaron would never be able to pick him out if the police were ever to line him up with other suspects.

"I'm leaving now, Little Burr. You can take off your blindfold- be a good boy," And like that, a door clicked shut. 

Aaron threw his hands back to jerk the bandana off his face, throwing it aside and looked to his wrists. They had a thick string of red around the wrist, but it didn't look too bad. He looked around frantically, studying the room. There was a small couch against the wall, a table in front of it with two stacks of books, a bed in the opposite corner of the room, and a wide, fuzzy rug placed in front of it. Aaron looked down at the floor, blinking in surprise. They were redwood tiles. He slowly focused on the pictures on the walls, blinking in horror when he recognized one as his Senior class photo. He slowly, numbly stood up and walked towards the pictures. Most of them looked taken without his realization, others were from his High School yearbook. 

 _How did he get these?_ Aaron thought in horror, stepping away from the wall and looked to the stack of books on the table in front of the couch. He approached them next, sitting down on the couch- which was as equally cold as the floor tiles- and took up one book at a time: _Borderline_ by Liza Marklund, _The Notebook_ by Nicholas Sparks, _Flowers for Algernon_ by Daniel Keyes, _Anna Dressed in Blood_ by Kendare Blake, _Matilda_ by Ronald Dahl, _It Gets Worst_ by Shane Dawson- Aaron blinked in surprise, rereading the title. A Youtuber book?

Despite the situation, Aaron did get a small flicker of a smile. Interesting choice compared to the rest of the books. He set them down neatly, looking around for a pair of clothes. Was Thomas going to make him roam in the same clothes everyday? Or would he bring clothes for him when he got out of the shower? Aaron shuddered at the realization that he was at the total mercy of Thomas Jefferson.

He looked around a little more, eye catching the glisten of a mirror. He stood up, quickly moving to go see himself in the reflection. The room was dark, but his eyes were adjusted to the darkness so it was easy to see his reflection. Aaron blinked in confusion, seeing a dark patch of skin on his neck. He leaned into the mirror, raising a hand to carefully trace it with his fingers. Why was there a bruise there? Did he hit his neck when he fell?

 _Unlikely,_ he snipped.

Aaron slowly trailed his eyes down, noticing the start of a black patch under the collar hem of his shirt. He furrowed his eyebrows, fear flickering. _Were those not bruises?_ He moved both of his hands to raise his shirt up enough to show his chest. He realized with another cold burst of horror that the dark patches spotted his skin, a trail made down to the hem of his pants. He shakingly shoved his shirt down, looking away from the mirror in disgust. He squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his fists and took deep breathes.

 _They were just bruises,_ He insisted, slowly opening his eyes and looked back at the mirror. _Bruises._

Aaron quickly turned away to go to the bed, wanting to retrieve the blanket and sit down in the middle to try and use his body warmth to keep _alive_. Why was the room so cold?

* * *

Aaron woke up with something laying on his chest. He peeked open his eyes, looking down and blinked in surprise to see a bag set on-top of him. He squirmed, quickly sitting up from the bed and pushed the bag away. How long did he sleep? When did he even fall asleep?

He looked around rapidly, searching for some sign that Thomas was around. It was still dark, still cold, and still empty. He stifled a huff, looking at the bag and opened it cautiously. What could be inside? Aaron blinked in surprise, reaching in and took out a frame. It was his photo of him and Matthias, from when they first joined basketball together in High School. 

Aaron felt another cold chill snake down his spine, realizing that this photo was in his personal office. At his home. He quickly went through the rest of the objects, taking them out and named them as he did. Another photo of him and his friends, his journals that he logged work in, pens that he recognized were from his desk drawer, a small clip-light that he used to read books in the dark, a small nutcracker he used as a christmas ornament- where did Thomas even find this? He lost it ages ago-, and a candle. Aaron noticed that it was store bought, because the price sticker was still on the bottom and it was clean and untouched.

He frowned, searching the bag for anything to light the candle with. He can use it as a light. When Aaron felt something small and rectangular, he quickly jerked up a matchbox and opened it to see how many were left. It was full. 

 _So, Thomas trusts me enough with a full pack of matches._ He note, furrowing his eyebrows. 

He quickly tossed off the blanket, taking up the candle and set it on the table in front of the couch. After lighting it, Aaron set the matches down and moved back to the bed to pick up his clip-light and lock it onto one of his journals. He decided he'd hide them, especially the clip-light. It had a blacklight on it, and Aaron had a special pen he hoped Thomas tossed in that wrote in hidden ink. Maybe he could write down notes about the house and work his way from there to escape. He nodded confidently, reaching out to the pens and searched through them. 

 _Aha!_ Aaron thought, perking when he found the pen he needed. Perfect. 

He put that pen in the metal ring of his journal, shoving them under his bed and collected the rest. He'd set next to the matches, along with the picture of he and Matthias. He eyed the other picture of his friends and himself, contemplating whether to hide it from sight or set it up. There was already so many pictures of him around the room, especially him and friends, he didn't know if he could handle another one. The loneliness might creep up on him faster.

Aaron turned to the now empty bag, frowning. Why had Thomas set it on his chest? What sense did that make? He decided that Thomas wouldn't make complete sense; he acted like he was a mentally ill. 

 _He probably is,_ Aaron noted. 

He looked to the staircase that lead to the door out. Was the door locked? He slipped off the bed, carefully going up the steps and paused at the front of the door. He made a quick plan, deciding that if it was locked, he'd leave and work on a way to pick the lock. If it wasn't, he'd open the door and check to see if Thomas was around. 

 _Then what?_ He thought, contemplating.

_Then you run._

He nodded, reaching a hand out cautiously and slowly turned the knob to reduce the amount of noise. it clicked softly, but kept turning. Aaron stood frozen as the knob turned around fully. It wasn't locked. He took a slow breath in, opening the door with the speed of an hour. Once he got it open enough for him to peak out, he glanced around. 

There was a living room to his right, and seemingly the front door right across from him. He perked excitedly, taking another rapid glance around. He looked to the left, noting the staircase and kitchen entrance. He didn't hear anybody; the house was dead silent. He slowly walked out of the cold room, washed in the warmth of the upstairs level. He bursted to the door he presumed was the front one, testing the door just as cautiously as he did with his. When it slid over, he tossed it open and felt his shoulders drop in horror. It was just a longer hallway. 

"Fuck." Aaron mumbled, quickly shutting the door and moved to check the kitchen. He forced his steps to be light and quick, not wanting to cause enough noise to draw attention. When he entered the kitchen, his shoulders dropped and he felt incredibly overwhelmed. There was a wide table, it seemed to be able to sit eight people altogether, and the kitchen was _huge._ Aaron vaguely wondered if Thomas lived alone. 

He scanned rapidly, quickly catching eye of two things. A wide window in front of the even wider sink and a doorway that seemed to lead into another part of the home. He decided looking out the window was more important than the doorway, so he moved to that first and leaned over the sink with a little bit of difficulty. There was a wide field, a forest far in the background, and he could see two dogs laying in a patch of hay that was clawed and torn from a hay-bale. 

He stepped away from the window, worried. How far were they from New Jersey?


	3. Don't

Aaron stepped away from the window, turning around quickly on his heels to keep an eye out on both doorways just incase Thomas decided to waltz right in. What could he do now? If he was as far as he felt from New Jersey, he'd need to run or even steal a car to the nearest town. 

 _Where can I start looking?_ He thought, looking at the walls quickly to try and find something where Thomas could hide keys. He decided to cross that road when he would need to hit it, moving to cautiously peek out the doorway to an unknown place of the seemingly mansion-like home. It looked like a wide hall way that had open doorways to separate rooms. Still no noise or sight of Thomas. He furrowed his eyebrows, staying on the right side of the wall because that was where most of the rooms were, and if he was to come across a room with Thomas in it, he could quickly duck back behind the wall. 

As he walked, he noted that most of the rooms looked like guest bedrooms. The beds were neatly done, pillows plump and soft-appearing, and the furniture in the room was completely spotless. 

 _Does he have a lot of guest?_ Aaron thought curiously, _Could he be entertaining one of these guests? Can I escape today?_

Aaron paused at one specific room, noting it's computer and large desk. Was this his office?

 _I would keep my keys in my office!_ He thought, rushing over to inside the room and started opening as many cupboards and slide doors as he could. Most of them were locked, so he had little luck finding anything of importance. He did, however, find a photo that made him ponder. It was of two men, both dark skinned with a few stripes of lighter-color. _Maybe from a tan,_ he considered. One had a strong jawline, a bit of a starting beard connecting his cut sideburns. He eyed the curly mess of hair he owned, then took a note of his face. He had fine eyebrows that arched condescendingly, but also invitingly if he was to smile- which he was. His grin reminded Aaron a bit of Matthias, dorky but also extremely light hearted and welcoming. He looked to the other man, scanning his structure. He squared his shoulders for the picture, but overall looked just as lighthearted as the other man was. His eyebrows were straight, arching only at the top, and ended sharply. He had the start of a beard, but it was really only curled peach-fuzz. His jaw was squared a little more then the guy beside him, but overall they did look like they shared the same diet. Aaron tilted his head, turning the photo to see if there was an explanation as to who was in it. 

_Fishing in Loch - James + Thom_

Aaron blinked, quickly turning the photo around and scanned the background of it. Now that he looked, it did look like they were in front of a wide lake. So, this was of James- Aaron assumed it was the same James that knew about Thomas kidnapping him- and Thomas. He glanced between the two, furrowing his eyebrows. He couldn't imagine either of them being his kidnapper. He quickly set the photo down, jumping when the echo of a door slamming shut hit his ears. 

Oh no. 

He whirled around, rushing to peek out of the office and tensed when the familiar voice called out through the house. 

"Buzzy, Damon! Come inside," 

Aaron blinked in confusion, furrowing his eyebrows and scrunched up his face. _Who?_ He strained his ears, jerking livid at the sound of clicks against the floor. Dogs. The two dogs he saw outside- Aaron looked around rapidly. Surely if Thomas realized he was out of his room, he'd end up being their dinner. He stepped cautiously, praying that the dogs wouldn't hear him. They sounded like they were on the other side of the house, far from his room. 

 _That means the entrance is there too,_ he thought. 

Aaron started speed-walking to his room, stepping lightly. His efforts went to hell though when he stepped against weak wood and made the loudest creak noise he has heard in his damned life. Aaron waited for a solid two seconds, than booked it to his room when he heard loud chains of barks and paws clanking the floor. Shit. _Shit._ They heard him!

He whirled past the kitchen, skidding to a halt and glanced rapidly. Where was his room, again? Right, across from the faulty hallway. He ran, fiddling with the knob. _It won't turn!_

 _My hands are too sweaty!_ Aaron quickly wiped them down on his jeans, jerking the knob open and threw himself back into his room, shutting the door and pulling it inwards- as if the dogs could open it. He heard snarls, growls of confusion, and clawing at the door in a matter of seconds. 

 _They run fast,_ Aaron noted with terror. If he wasted another moment, he would have gotten bitten. He breathed out in relief, gently bumping his head against the door and closed his eyes tightly. He was so close. 

 _I wasted time looking at a dumb photo,_ He thought, stifling a sigh and turned around to go downstairs so that, if Thomas decided to check on him, he wouldn't look suspicious standing right at the door. 

 _I waited too long,_ He thought, furrowing his eyebrows. 

"Buzzy- dumb dog- go to the kitchen!" Thomas's voice boomed, sounding irritated. Aaron snapped his eyes back the door, quickly jumping off the stairs and hopped to the couch. He regretted that jump, now his ankle tingled and felt a little off. He took up a random book, quickly finding a random page and started reading the first line he saw. 

 _Isn’t that weird how you never see a fat kid eat? We always do it in private, as if we are fooling anyone-_ Aaron furrowed his eyebrows. What the hell? He turned the book over, reading the title. _It Gets Worse._ Shane Dawson's book. He scoffed, rolling his eyes so hard that it hurt. As he was rolling his eyes, he heard the door click open and steps come down. Aaron quickly looked over, eagerly trying to get a chance to see who Thomas was. Was he the lean, curly-haired-mess? Or the square-shouldered, serious man?

"Aaron?" He sounded worried. Could he not see him on the couch?

"Yes, Thomas?" Aaron asked, blinking. He heard a relieved sigh, then the door click shut again.

Are... is he serious? Aaron widened his eyes, quickly tossing the book aside on the other seat of the couch and stood up in outrage. Is that all he wanted to do, check he was down here? Aaron took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He was just irritated that he didn't get to find out what Thomas looked like. He breathed out, calming down and sat back down. Thomas must have thought that he left, which is why he checked. 

 _Did he hear me run around?_ Aaron thought worriedly, swallowing thickly, _Was he in trouble?_

He paused at the click of the door, quickly looking back to it and perked excitedly when he heard steps coming down. "Thomas?"

"Do you see where you set the blindfold, Burr?" 

Aaron blinked in confusion, looking around the floor and caught sight of the white fabric crumpled next to the wall. "Yes."

"Put it on." He didn't sound negotiable.

Aaron's stomach twisted uncomfortably. He slowly stood up, walking to the blindfold and fought the urge to look back at Thomas. He was in trouble. He  _knows_ he's in trouble. Aaron lifted the blindfold up to his face, tying it as sturdy as he could. S'not like tying a knot was hard, but not being able to see what he was doing made it a little more difficult. Once he was done, he nodded and strained his ears to listen to the steps that approached. "Sir...?" he started.

"I brought you food," Thomas sounded much more at ease then he previously sounded. Aaron nodded in acknowledgement, furrowing his eyebrows. Why was Thomas so keen on not letting him see his face? When a hand brushed his back, Aaron jumped and turned his head to the side, half expecting to be snatched up in another repellant kiss. 

"Thank you." Aaron pushed out quickly, voice leveled. 

"... Are you feeling ill today?" Thomas asked, voice directly in his ear. Aaron shivered, shaking his head. "No, Thomas, I'm okay."

"Good." He could feel Thomas's nod, somehow. 

Aaron needed to collect himself. He was acting fussy, like a small child. He took a slow breath, moving a hand cautiously to hold onto the one touching his back and turned around so that he was facing the direction he presumed Thomas to be in. After letting go of the hand, he put his own by his sides and tilted his head up a bit to help present a mature and respectable composure. "Thank you, by the way, for the bag. It... was a pleasant surprise," It was. He got his special pen and notebooks. _That's right!_ Aaron thought, joy flickering. He has his notebooks and special pen, he can start composing a way out the moment Thomas leaves him be.

"You're very welcome," Thomas sounded so  _pleased_ that Aaron acknowledged his efforts. He _supposed_ Thomas didn't get enough acknowledgement from his other kidnapped kids, assuming there was more than him. He felt a slight brush on his arms, then a straight-up bear hug. Aaron yipped in surprise, blinking and hesitated on hugging back. Thomas was hugging him. He gave a short-lived squeeze, dropping his arms away and tried to cut the hug short. He didn't want this to transition to anything more then just a hug. He felt the arms that were hugging leave him for about four seconds, then come right back and cup his cheeks, forcing Aaron right on his tip toes and into another bloody kiss.

Aaron knew better this time. He tossed his hands up to shove Thomas's shoulders back, quickly squirming to step back and try and jerk his head away. "Don't." Aaron said sharply when he broke the kiss, furrowing his eyebrows and clenched his fists when Thomas's hands left his cheeks and moved to hold his wrists. 

"What if I show you my face?" Thomas tempted him- negotiated with him. Aaron perked at that, but didn't turn his head back to face him. He'll see his face anyway- he'll end up getting what Thomas is offering now, so why do it? However... it is just a kiss, it's not like Thomas is prompting him to chew glass and  _swallow._ Would he rather wait for it, or end up doing it now? Aaron frowned, clenching his fists even tighter. He can feel Thomas leaning in to nuzzle into his neck, breathing against his collarbone gently.

"No more blindfold, I promise," Thomas purred, smiling against his skin.

Aaron pondered that, taking it into consideration. Surely, even if he waited for it, he wouldn't get that reassurance of always having his sight. Aaron swallowed thickly, nodding hesitantly. This was to his benefit. He wouldn't get the same deals Thomas was offering, assuming that Jefferson always held his end of the deals. "Okay..." He mumbled quietly, slowly turning his head back and released his fists as Thomas released his wrists. He'd just need to pretend he was someone else.

 _Jonathan,_ Aaron recalled. Jonathan Bellamy. He could pretend Thomas was him. Aaron raised his hands hesitantly, waiting patiently for something to touch him. First, it was fingers brushing down his sides, then holding his hips. Finally, there was something brushing across his bottom lip one moment and pushing into him the second. Aaron tilted his head, forcing his body to relax and started to touch up Thomas's arm. 

 _Jonathan's arm._ He corrected.

Aaron pushed forward, pressing into the kiss and shifting back encouragingly. He could imagine himself and Jonathan in his room, pressing feverishly against each other. Admitting, it would be warmer, but Aaron would slyly whisper to Jon' that he could warm up the room for them and push himself forward, running his hands up his arms and to his jawline, tracing slowly to influence a shudder. He nipped the bottom lip against his, thriving off the gentle gasp he got in return. Aaron felt hands trace up from his hips, Jonathan was pulling him closer, then move back down to insert his thumbs into the belt loops. Aaron welcomed it excitedly, going on his toes to kiss back harder and accepted the tongue that traced his lips. 

Although, it wouldn't be long after that Aaron would need to rest his heels back into the floor because of how much he was already straining his spine from being bent to conform into the curve of Jonathan's body. Aaron's body was getting a little hot, especially with how the hands on his hips gripped tighter and drew their pelvises to rut against each other. Aaron made a small noise, shuddering against him and almost losing his footing. Aaron followed the body motions, the innuendo, everything about the situation with ease. He was at one moment kissing Jonathan and rutting their pelvises together needly, then the next he had his legs around his waist and mouth against Jonathan's neck, back pressed against the wall firmly to help hold him up. There was soft noises in his ear, noises of encouragement. Aaron melted at the idea of being encouraged by Jon, his infatuation since Senior year of High School. They were close, Aaron figured he's been getting hints for months that Jonathan wouldn't be against the idea of dating him, and now he's here, against a wall and marking at his-

Aaron stopped, digging his nails into the shoulders that he clung onto so desperately. He wasn't kissing Jonathan. Aaron tensed worriedly, disconnecting his lips and felt a sickness rot deep in his stomach. What did he just do?  _Oh no. Oh no._ Aaron took a sharp breath, throwing a hand to toss off the blindfold and rub his eyes clear of blurry vision. When Aaron recollected himself, he snapped his eyes to the man and leaned back to get a look of his face. 

 _It was the messy-haired one._ Aaron shivered, scanning his face. He looked overtaken, surprised but also not against what happen. 

 _How long were we like that?_  He thought, swallowing down the bile that rose up, and analysing Thomas's facial expression. He was much more flattering in real life then he was in that picture, solid brown eyes that were narrowed with either excitement or curiosity. He was getting the form of a familiar grin, one eyebrow arching pointedly. "Why'd you stop?" Thomas prompted. 

 _I wasn't expecting to do any of that._  He thought, slowly looking away and took shallow, silent breathes through his nose.

He closed his eyes tightly when Thomas leaned in, sucking and trailing his neck. Aaron felt hot again. He felt sick. He removed one hand from Thomas's shoulders, prepping it against the wall and clawed it viciously as Jefferson licked his skin. It felt disgusting, the slick of his saliva and the gentle graze of his teeth. He wanted to take a hot shower, wash off everything that's been done to him.

 _I egged it on,_ Aaron thought, squeezing his eyes closed tighter, _I shouldn't have been imagining Jonathan- how dumb was **that**?_

He choked back a whimper, fighting to control himself. He needed to control the situation. He needs to control himself. Aaron forced open his eyes, blinking away the spotted vision and looking past Thomas's shoulder to the food tray he set on the desk. He didn't even hear him set it down. Aaron furrowed his eyebrows, quickly arching to push Thomas off and forced on a innocent look, something to sell what he was about to say.

"Thomas? Can I eat?" He asked softly, unsuccessful on pushing the man's mouth off his neck.

"Hm?" The man hummed, sucking so hard that Aaron felt like he shouldn't swallow or breath.

"I'm... I'm sorry, sir, I'm starving... can we...?" He prompted quietly.

"Oh- Of course." Thomas pulled back from his neck. Aaron felt numb to the situation for the next few minutes. He hardly paid attention as they were slipping from the knot Aaron allowed to happen, the way his feet thudded against the floor and how he followed Thomas to the couch. When they sat down, Thomas started explaining what he made for him, checking in to make sure that what he used was okay for him to eat. He explained that it was, avoiding looking directly at Thomas's neck. He didn't want to see what marks he made. 

Disgust rippled through him once again, and it didn't help when he started eating that Thomas was petting his back and nuzzling his neck. He didn't want the affection. Aaron would much rather piss him off and get beaten then have another moment of this sickening touch and mind-spinning confusion. 

 _Aaron Burr,_ He thought sternly,  _you made a mistake. You always make mistakes, it's happened, you can't do anything to fix it. But you cant get frustrated either. Relax, don't let him get to you. You can handle this. Form a plan, things will run smoothly._

Aaron relaxed, tilting his head to let Thomas cuddle into him and rolled his eyes when the man started talking about his day. Great, he's gonna need to pretend to be interested now.

 _I do that enough at work,_ He thought.

"James is excited to meet you." Thomas hummed, "He says he liked how you worked and interacted with people. He's getting all that knowledge from me, obviously, but it's still a compliment none-the-less. He suggested meeting you this weekend, wouldn't that be nice?"

"When's _this weekend?"_ Aaron asked.

"Two days from now." He answered simply.

"Hm." Aaron nodded in acknowledgement.

"Oh- Did you get scared when you heard the dogs?" Thomas prompted, chuckling lightly. Aaron blinked in surprise, forcing himself not to tense.

"A bit. I wasn't expecting you to have dogs." He admitted.

"I only have 'em to herd. Other then that, they're irritating. I don't really like dogs." 

"Why have them?" Aaron prompted, "I'm sure there's some other technique to herd."

"My friend Lafayette gave me one. I've had the other for a while now, he's a little old. " Thomas said thoughtfully.

 _Lafayette._ Aaron perked in surprise, "Ah, is this Lafayette french?" he prompted curiously.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Thomas straightened up from his neck, looking at Aaron excitedly and with shock.

"I think I've met him before." Aaron smiled in response, feeling a familiar tango of false kindness rise up.

"That's incredible." Thomas said, awe clear in his voice. 

Aaron agreed, but he thought it was incredible for a total different reason. If Thomas knows Lafayette, Lafayette knows Thomas and him... he'll be able to help if Aaron can contact him. _This is perfect,_ he thought excitedly, _I just need to wait for my opportunity._


	4. Ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of 2

Burr didn’t expect two days to go so quickly. The first of the two days, Thursday, went as smoothly as he could hope for. He finally got new clothes. He was grateful for that much, especially since with those new clothes he got the blessings to take a shower with supervision. Aaron had originally thought this meant Thomas was going to stand in the bathroom with him while he took a shower, but quickly found out that “supervision” just meant him being locked inside the bathroom for an hour and then let out to go back to his room or to eat. Aaron had expected that with the freedom of now knowing what Thomas looked like, he would also have the freedom of roaming with him around his home. He was wrong.

Burr’s been stuck here for both of those days, save for the time he was allowed to go to the bathroom. The only time he knows it’s night is when the slight beam of light on the top of the door would blacken out. It was infuriating; being kept in the dark-- literally-- and then expected to be pliant and respectful. He didn’t want to be pliant and respectful anymore, he’s gotten tired of it and it’s only been _four_ days.

 _I just want to go home,_ Burr thought to himself in lonesomeness, staring at the rug on the floor. He’s come to hate that rug. He was also incredibly bored. He’s read all the books set out for him, and some of them had a common theme. A _terrifying_ common theme. Stockholm Syndrome.

Aaron wrinkled his nose, hugging his legs to his chest and pressed himself as far as he could into the couch. He knew what Thomas was trying to do. Aaron Burr was far from gullible. He was trying to subtly brainwash him. It was all dropping into place-- sort of. He was inferring different things from the past situations he’s been in.

He can infer that Thomas has an unhealthy infatuation with him. Whether it be a sexual or romantic infatuation, Aaron was unsure. But he knows it’s there because Thomas has done nothing but touch him and give him undying attention when he sees fit. That also leads to Burr’s second thought; Thomas is keeping him here like a pet. He treats him as such, grooming him and giving him the time of his day when he figures Burr needs it most. The major affection he’s been receiving also backs up both of those theories. What scares Burr the most, however, is the fact that if Thomas is keeping him here as a pet… he’s keeping him until he gets bored. That leaves two possible options of that fateful end results; death or prophet.

If Burr’s honest with himself, he knows Thomas would kill him. He’s too protective. He would get too jealous to sell his old toy.

Aaron breathed out, dropping his head into his knees and hugged himself into a tighter ball. He was cold. The blanket he had was tossed out for washing, which just left him to the bitter bite of the freezing air. It also didn’t help that every single article of clothing given to him showed off as much of his skin as possible. Muscle tanks and shorts. He breathed out, rubbing his legs to try and make up his own warmth with friction. It felt like he was sitting in snow.

“This sucks.” He whispered, dropping his shoulders.

 _Although,_ he reminded himself, _which would you rather have? The disgusting warmth of Thomas’s hands all over you, or the cold of being alone?_

 _I’d rather be with my friends._ Aaron thought to himself, another fit of sorrow making a lump in his throat. _I just want to go home._

How many times has he thought that to himself in these four days? "I just want to go home". Burr felt rage flutter in his chest. He's acting like a child. He's acting as though whining to himself about wanting to go home is going to get him home. Win him the pity of his captor.

That's not how life works, Aaron reminded himself harshly. You don't get what you want by pleading or whining for it through pity... you get it with hard work and patience. Aaron furrowed his eyebrows, tensing up his shoulders and huffed to himself. That's the only way to get out of here; to work through it and wait. Everything turns out right if you waited long enough.

He pulled his head up from his knees, looking around the dark room and sighed quietly. He wondered if he could ask Thomas to at least give him something to watch movies on. It would make it less quiet and intimidating to be down here. Alone. Without someone to talk to.

He dropped his knees from his chest, getting up from the couch and stretched out his back and limbs. Being tired wouldn't do him good. He paced the room for a bit, then turned to go up the stairs. Perhaps he can request some type of attention-- maybe even ask Thomas if he can go to the bathroom again just to test and see if he remembered the route. Luckily, the bathroom seemed just a hallway closer to the front door then he was here, inside this prison. He paused for just a second, staring at it just to get his thoughts together. He's got to walk into this knowing exactly what's going to happen.

Either; Thomas can ignore him, Thomas can let him out, or he can end up getting another gross burst of affection from the man. Aaron contemplated each individual scenario, then brought the courage to himself and gave a semi-hard knock on the door.

"Thomas?" He called, "Are you there?" Silence.

Aaron furrowed his eyebrows, drawing his eyes down to the knob and gave it a test turn. Locked. Thomas _has_ been getting more vigilant on keeping the door locked-- he wondered if he was used to locking doors. Probably not. Burr looked back up, giving another test call.

"Sir?"

The sound of footsteps suddenly hit his ears. Aaron rushed to step down a few stairs, staying relatively close to the door and perked when he heard an abrupt pause outside. Was that Thomas? Could it be someone here to save him?

"Aaron? Are you okay, Small Burr?" Damn. It is Thomas.

"Yeah-- can... can I be let out? Maybe until James comes? It's awfully boring without you." Aaron said, slyly sucking up to the man. Being a suck up could do nothing but help him in this case-scenario.

"... Of course, Sweetie." Thomas sounded gentle, which was perfect. That meant that he was in the mood to be pliant to Burr's needs. Aaron straightened up excitedly, watching the door slowly creak open and quickly raised a hand to shield his eyes from the light.

"Oh-- Honey, you should have something on your eyes. It's not good to be instantly shined a light on." Thomas's hand brushed his arm-- Aaron decided to welcome it. He felt so warm. He breathed out quietly, giving a soft nod and decided not to point out that not only was it Thomas's fault in the first place that he was stuck in absolutely darkness all the time, but that he never bothered to warn him about the brightness of the outside world.

 _Wow,_ Aaron thought in awe as his captor led him to the living room, _I just said outside world._

"You're so cold, Little Burr." Thomas whispered, sounding surprised.

Did Thomas not know how cold it was down there? Was he unaware of how it affected him? Aaron contemplated the possibility, but he couldn't come up with an honest conclusion. He wanted to say that it was Thomas's fault he was so cold, but that also wasn't justifiable because, as far as Burr knew, Thomas only visited down in his room to drop off food or talk with him and he was always dressed up for comfort and warmth. Perhaps he dressed like that because he knows. Perhaps he's trying to manipulate you into thinking he doesn't know what he's putting you through.

"I'm a little chilly." Aaron agreed, relieved to feel his skin being bathed in the light of the sun when he sat on the couch. He didn't even mind the burning sensation on his eyes anymore, all he wanted was the warmth. He closed his eyes, deciding to relax into it and listen to Thomas talk about whatever he wished to.

It's become a game of waiting and listening between them, honestly. And Burr was very good at both of those, so he was sure he was winning.

"I'm glad you called. I was far too lost into work-- It's a stressful job, Burr-Bear." Thomas said, singing a tale of woes that Burr's far too familiar with.

"What's stressful about it? What kind of work do you do?" Aaron asked, forcing himself not to tense when he felt the softest brush of fingers going up and down his arm-- as if to warm him up.

"I'm working out some legalities right now, Sweetie, nothing for you to fret about." Thomas hummed.

No, it wasn't anything for him to worry about, but one step closer to knowing what Thomas does is another step towards his freedom. Knowledge is power-- and right now, he needs as much power as he can get. He's so tired of feeling so helpless all the time. "... I'm a lawyer," Aaron shot out, quickly clearing his throat and looked over to Thomas. He moved a hand from his lap to rest on Thomas's knee. He wanted to give the impression that he was being honest and genuine and not sly and mischievous.

"No no, Darling, don't you worry about a thing." Thomas shook his head stubbornly, leaning forward as if to peck Burr's forehead. Aaron quickly ducked his head down from it, quickly pressing himself into Thomas's chest and closed his eyes tightly.

 _Sell it, Burr,_ He thought.

"I can help you." He said, "I can help you sort it out. Anything."

"I said _no,_ Aaron." Thomas's voice came out harsh, which startled Burr enough, but when a sharp and tight grip latched on his arm, he instantly jerked back from the man's chest and tensed up in worry.

"I'm sorry." He pushed out quickly, eyeing Thomas's face frantically. His lips were pulled down in a frown and his eyebrows were furrowed, as if questioning him. He pushed too far. He tried too hard-- he was going to get himself in trouble and he could feel it. "I didn't mean to press. I just worry about you." Aaron added, hoping he looked as sincere as possible.

"... It's alright," The grip loosened, "I know you worry about me. You're so caring, my gentle Burr," Thomas sighed, almost sadly, and hugged Aaron back into his chest.

"If only more people were like you." Thomas growled out, "Then the world wouldn't be such a disgusting place."

Aaron blinked a few times, trying to understand what he said. "I'm not perfect." He whispered, "Neither is the world."

"No, you are perfect... I wish I could make you see that." Thomas pulled back from him, settling Burr into his lap (with force) and tilting his head up. Aaron swallowed thickly, feeling something sick curl in his stomach at the intensity of the man's stare. He looked like he was staring right into Aaron's soul, plucking apart every word he said and looking through it to find some hidden meaning. Aaron wasn't used to that. He wasn't used to being looked so thoroughly at.

"... I guess perfect has many different meanings." Aaron settled for, deciding not to give in but also not to deny Thomas his right to an opinion.

"And mine is Aaron Burr." Thomas agreed, sending a bright blush to Burr's cheeks. He jerked to turn his head away, suddenly frantic to look at something else that wasn't Thomas's face. He's too open about it. Thomas was too open of a character-- he's too smart and he's too much of a good actor. Burr can't read him. He can't read what he thinks or what he's hiding... It sucks. He hates this. Aaron hates how this man has turned the tables and made him the object to be studied and looked through. He's a lawyer. He's supposed to be unreadable.

Aaron bristled, staring down at the couch and spoke as calmly as he could. "When's James coming over?"

"Well, actually, I got a text from him saying he was close around the time you called for me." Thomas said, sounding pleased. As though he believed Aaron was excited to meet his friend. "I had begun boiling some water-- I had hoped we could sit down to a meal. Just to talk a little more."

"Oh." Aaron hesitated, "What're we eating...?"

"Mac n Cheese!" Thomas sounded suddenly excited, bringing Aaron's attention to him. He’d gotten a little timid to ask, especially since he almost got scolded because of his persistence, but he continued anyway. Being shy and fearful wouldn't get him out of here. However, he needs to be cautious. Perhaps he can make a little conversation and build off of that and onto the James fellow. He wanted to know what he was getting into.

“You like that?” He decided to ask.

“Absolutely!” Thomas nodded his head frantically, a gleam in his eyes showing pride about the fact that Burr even asked, “It’s literally the best thing in the world. Vanilla ice cream is too- but--”

“Ice cream.” Aaron repeated skeptically. _Huh._ He expected his kidnapper to be a little more eloquent than that. Especially since Thomas had conjured up a plan to kidnap him and executed it without any issues. _That you know of,_ he reminded himself.

“Oh, yes.” Thomas nodded, looking solemn.

 _Oh brother,_ Aaron thought sarcastically. He decided to keep his mouth shut on the subject. “Okay, yeah. Mac n Cheese sounds nice. Does James like it to?”

“Let’s not talk about James.” Thomas said curtly, suddenly eyeing him. His face dropped from one of excitement to that of dislike and keen disinterest. Aaron fought the urge to furrow his eyebrows in confusion. If Thomas and James are friends, why would Jefferson be against the idea of talking about said friend?

“Why not?” He dared, tilting his head to the side. He watched as Thomas’s eyes slid away, eyeing something behind Aaron. _What’s he thinking?_ Aaron contemplated the possibilities, and the feeble idea that Thomas was jealous did rise up in the midst of those theories, but he tossed them aside and decided that it was less likely than he was willing to admit. Especially since Thomas had only started talking to him four days ago versus studying him from afar.

 _Creepy,_ Aaron thought, waiting patiently for the man to respond. He shifted slightly in Thomas’s lap, a little uncomfortable with the position and surely uncomfortable with the stare he had in his general direction. When he tried to scoot off of the man’s lap, he felt the grip on his wrist suddenly clamp down and jerk him closer.

“Your neck.” Thomas said. Aaron took a second to understand what he meant, then blinked in surprise at the realization that Thomas wasn’t staring behind him. He was staring at his _neck._

“What about it?” Aaron asked, allowing his face to scrunch up in confusion.

“They’re fading...” Thomas hushed quietly, looking concerned and betrayed. What had Aaron done to betray him? What was fading? Burr rushed to put a hand against his skin, trying to feel for a sign of whatever Thomas was concerned over. There was nothing on his neck. What could be fading?

Thomas seemed to understand his confusion. He smiled patiently, mocking sweetness, “Have you not seen them yet, Dearest?”

Aaron allowed himself a moment of thought. He quickly came to the realization that he was talking about the _marks._ Burr’s heart twisted, another shudder of disgust shaking his body. He quickly started squirming off of Thomas’s lap, refusing to face the reality of the marks and refusing to be _forced_ into it while _conscious._ Thomas caught him with his free hand, hauling him closer with ease even though Burr was using the remnants of his energy to try and throw himself off.

“Aaron!” Thomas exclaimed, and the _bastard_ had the audacity to sound surprised. Aaron threw his unlatched hand over to try and shove himself away from Thomas’s chest. In that instant he knew he lost because the hand supporting his back followed his hand he threw over and caught him. Before he had the ability to squirm his hand out of the hold, Thomas had put both wrists into one hand and the other moved forward to grip tightly onto his chin.

Aaron winced, slamming his eyes shut and furrowed his brows. He can feel Thomas’s fingers digging into his jawline and squeezing. He clenched his hands into fists and tried to squirm out of his hold.

 _“Baby, Honey, Sweetheart,_ I’m not gonna hurt you.” Thomas hushed, speaking to him as if he was a small child. “Don’t fret, Little Burr. I’m just going to fix them, that’s all, sweetie. Just before James sees.”

“No!” Burr snapped, paining his jaw in the process. He fought to turn his head away, but Thomas forced his head to tilt back and show off his neck. It was a little painful.

 _“Thomas--_ Thomas. Don’t. I don’t want it.” He threw out, hoping that it would mean something to the man forcing him to have his approval. His approval meant something before; Thomas bargained it for his freedom of the bandana. Does it mean something now? No. He can feel him leaning in, forcing Burr still despite his efforts. He whimpered when he felt the slightest press against his neck, trying to maneuver his legs to try and push away from it in a frantic motion. He held his breath, not wanting to make the slightest movement while Thomas sucked his neck and spotted kisses around his skin. He felt like he was going to throw up. He couldn't tell how long it took, a few minutes, perhaps? It felt like hours with Thomas's suctions and bites.

“See? So easy.” Thomas hummed, the vibrations tickling Aaron. It took everything in Burr’s power to not jerk away and scream for help. He can’t toss out all of his restraints and personal control. He waited in disgust, cringing when Thomas gave an affectionate purr and licked a stripe up his skin.

“There Sweetie. Renewed.”

Aaron breathed out quietly, relaxing himself down when Thomas released his jaw and choked back his feelings. He wanted to yell and cry. He hates his situation. He hates how it had to be him. He hates how Thomas stares at him with such adoration. He hates everything.

Aaron fluttered open his eyes, staring down at the floor as Thomas took the time to stroke his chin and cheek. The petting was easy to get used to. It wasn’t his _favourite_ thing, especially since Thomas would usually evolve his touching to needy and unnecessary nuzzling combined with dehumanizing cooes, but he didn’t mind it enough to fight against it. Especially since he already felt so drained of energy just from the past few minutes.

_I feel gross._

Burr’s senses lit up when he heard the echoes of bells. He looked in confusion to Thomas, making a face of disgust when the man pecked his cheek and set him down-- off his lap. Thank God! Burr thought, rushing to gently rub where he was held and watched Thomas leave. That must be his doorbell; which means he’s going to get James; which means he's going to the front door!

 _This is my chance,_ he thought, _to find the door!_

Burr quickly threw himself off the couch, rushing to follow and only halted when Thomas looked back at him and shook his head sternly.

“Go sit back down and wait, Small Burr.” He ordered, lips pulling into a frown. Aaron contemplated the possibility of following for a second _(I could book it past him at the last minute. Run around James and hop into whatever vehicle he took)_ , but decided against it because he knew he didn't have enough energy to pull off any wild stunts and he knew Thomas would catch him before he could even make it out the door. Aaron sighed, moving back to the couch. Dammit. He was so _close._

“Just my luck,” he hissed to himself quietly, “Marked up, kissed, then ditched.”

The humor was weak, but it was enough to allow him a fake smile and faulty sense of control. _If you can joke about it after it happens, you can move on from it._ He can move on from this. He’s strong.

_Keep telling yourself that._

Aaron sat down like the obedient idiot he was, waiting patiently. When he started hearing the patter of footsteps, he quickly stood up and fumbled with the hem of his shirt. He sort of wished he could cover himself up, simply because it was embarrassing to be seen so pathetically. He knew he was forming some types of bruising around his jaw and wrists, and with the addition of the...--Aaron swallowed thickly-- the _hickies,_ he knew he was a sight for sore eyes.

 _I wish I had more to cover up then just a muscle shirt and shorts,_ He thought. He wondered if he could ask Thomas for more coverage.

 _"... And he's doing very well! He's asking questions and he's--_ Hello Burr! Look, Sweetie, this is James Madison." 

Burr looked up, blinking when he caught eyes with the same man he saw in the photo. He looked a little more worn, which made Aaron wonder if that picture was taken a few years ago instead of recently. How long had they been friends? Hopefully James would be more willing to talk then Thomas was. 

 _About more then just me, too._ He thought bitterly.

"Pleased to meet you." James said, stepping towards him and setting out a hand. Aaron felt out of his element, and yet so familiar with the situation at the same time. James wasn't going to treat him like a prisoner for his demented friend's weird obsession.

"The pleasure is mine." Aaron said, putting a hand out and shook. James seemed to be aware of his weakened state, because he didn't squeeze and instead let Aaron give the lead. Burr didn't bother squeezing too hard; his wrist hurt enough. Aaron pretended to not see the look down Thomas gave them.

"Thomas talks so fondly of you," James said, retracting his hand and offered a smile.

"Oh, I'm sure," Aaron said, glancing aside and decided to quickly change the subject. "Did you drive safe?"

"Ah, yes. It was a little windy, but overall well." James nodded.

"Oh? I hope it settles." Aaron said, stifling a shudder at the reminder that he had to sleep in nothing but that cold.

"I do too-- Thomas, you said you had dinner preparing?" James looked over to the male, who quickly straightened up and widened his eyes.

"Crap. Hold-- I'll be right back!" Thomas chirped, sprinting over to the kitchen.

Aaron quickly looked back to James, squaring up his shoulders and watched as he strolled forward and sat comfortably on the couch.

"Sit with me, you won't make any progress standing." He sounded a little less friendly. Aaron nodded, deciding to obey and get a feel of what the man was like. But, he also wanted to see how far he could push in just the span of the few minutes he had alone with him.

"You know what's happening." Aaron said blankly.

"I do." James agreed, "Thomas is going to make Mac n Cheese and I'm here speaking to you."

"You know what's happening between Thomas and I," Aaron continued, a little irritated, "and you know it's bad."

"I know nothing of the sort, that would make me an accomplice."

"Don't play that with me," Aaron hissed, rolling his eyes almost viciously. "I'd rather have you accept it now and deny it later then deny it altogether."

"You better learn to keep that pretty face of yours unhurt and that attitude in check." James looked to him evenly. He didn't sound mad or upset, which was what really pissed Aaron off. He wanted emotion from the guy. "Because that's what's going to let you last longer then most."

 _"... then most."_ Aaron repeated, shoulders and heart dropping in horror.

"Oh no, don't get the idea that Thomas has done this before. You're his first. Congratulations. I meant others, as in other victims similar to this." James corrected himself, lifting a brow, "Come now, Burr. You're a lawyer. You must know how to collect yourself."

"I've been stuck in a _hole_ for the last four days, given nothing but revolting attention from a guy I don't even know!" Aaron hissed quietly, all in one breath. He didn't like this guy. He just decided on it. "You do not get to tell me when I get to keep my calm and when I don't."

"Hm." James took what he said into consideration, then nodded. Aaron swore he saw the flicker of a smile on his face.

"I heard you were settling in," James switched the topic, turning away.

"Well enough," Aaron mumbled, looking away as well. He didn't want to bother looking at him.

"... Thomas is happy around you." 

Aaron tensed up, quickly hugging himself.

"You can't see it because you're scared and disgusted. But he's happy around you. Can't you keep him happy like that for a little while longer? Just a bit? He's been through so much and-" "Don't you dare try to... manipulate me, Mr. Madison." Aaron said quickly, digging his nails into his arms despite the pain blistering in his wrist. He wont be manipulated to sympathize for his kidnapper. He won't. He's too smart for it.

"... I just don't want to see him upset anymore, Mr. Burr. You must know what it feels like to see someone so close to you so sad." James said quietly.

Aaron didn't answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just found out Ham-For-Ham reads this and realized it wasn't a healthy relationship yikes fam sorry maybe i'll make a nice jeffburr relationship thing some day
> 
> maybe


	5. Disappear

Aaron hated two specific things about Madison. One; he was right about him being scared and disgusted, two; Madison has such a tight cap on his emotions and Aaron found himself jealous because of that. He wanted to be cold and analytical too, not worried and contemplating what Thomas will do next. In addition to that, he couldn't help it that every time he thought he saw something move in the corner of his vision, he looked.

He didn't make a scene out of it, just a casual glance over the shoulder, but his anxiety certainly wasn't settling like he had hoped it would the longer he stayed with Thomas. Although, he should have expected himself to not be able to settle in as quickly as he would hoped. It wasn't some meek, casual type of homesickness he was feeling. He was feeling dread and an over abundance of curiosity. What was Thomas going to do? When would he do it? Would he keep Aaron inside that cold cell forever? He pondered each question almost religiously. However, at the moment, his head was filled with many different questions. Such as, what kind of seasoning is that? Why is Thomas acting like an actual human being and not cottling me every chance he gets? And Why is Madison so good at keeping himself put together?

"I added a bit of pepper and salt to it before settling it on your plates-- I hope you don't mind!" Thomas hummed, not looking in the slightest bit guilty.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Madison hummed, looking pointedly to Aaron, as if _he_ should say something as well.

"It's better then nothing." Aaron decided, thriving at the slight flicker of frustration from James. Good! He wants to make him mad. He's not going to act like an obedient pet now just because James's around.

"I also have some biscuits warming--" Aaron zoned the man out, sitting down at the table and brushing off his shorts. He'll need to ask for some other form of clothing later-- perhaps sweatpants, if he can't convince Thomas of jeans.

"That sounds splendid. Do tell me, Thomas, how have you been recently?" James broke into Aaron's trail of thought. He looked over, furrowing his eyebrows and tensed. Jerk, he thought, though knew very well that James probably had no idea of what he did.

"Stressful," Thomas admitted with a heavy sigh, his face dropping from excitement to a tired and bored look. Aaron eyed him a little hopefully, wondering if he was going to continue the answer with an explanation.

"How's the practice?" Thomas changed the subject instead, tossing a cautious glance at Aaron.

 _He's smart,_ Burr thought bitterly.

"As well as ever," Madison hummed.

"You work at a practice?" Aaron asked, lifting a brow. Was James a lawyer? He had never heard his name before.

 _He must not be a good one,_ Aaron thought stiffly.

"A medical practice. I'm a doctor." James explained, looking to Burr with an amused glint in his eyes. He must have figured Aaron got _excited_ to hear he as a lawyer.

 _I'm relieved you aren't one!_ He thought indignantly, forcing himself not to sneer.

"Oh. Sounds interesting," Aaron said flatly, then smiling politely, "Have you any wild stories to tell?"

"Confidentiality," James returned, "Can't have you telling others my patients medical history."

"I don't think I'll be in the presence of anybody else who's not at this table anytime soon," Burr shot back, smugness flooding when James's lip pulled down into a frown. He straightened his back, looking to Thomas proudly and smiled as sweetly as possible. He didn't want to get in trouble for aggravating his captors friend-- it wouldn't hurt to use Thomas's interest in him for his own benefit.

"Can we eat now?" He asked innocently.

"Of course!" Thomas nodded, putting up the brightest smile in his direction. He motioned for them to start taking their picking of the food, then stood up gracefully and made his way back to the kitchen, "Excuse me while I take out the biscuits."

Aaron didn't bother trying to make conversation or even look at James while they were alone; he's too fed up with him already and he's sure that if James decides to confront him about what he just did, he'll explode. He scooped up the mac & cheese onto his plate, though didn't make any movement to eat it. Instead, he fiddled with his fork and leaned back into his chair, ignoring the slight huff Madison emitted. 

"You're acting like a child." James said. Aaron didn't respond. 

Burr looked up as Thomas came back with a whole bowl of fluffy, seemingly soft biscuits. Aaron straightened out at that, taking a soft breath and shuddered in delight at the refreshing reminder of the scent of freshly cooked bread. It smelt so nice. He set the fork down, waiting for Thomas to seat himself before daring to reach out and pluck up the first biscuit. He also ignored the prideful look he got from his captor.

Aaron adverted his gaze, fiddling with the bread and cautiously set it down on the side of his place. He didn't want to give the man the satisfaction of seeing him readily eat his food.

He heard Thomas sigh quietly, "So, James, how's your health? You've been telling me how sick you've been lately. I surely hope you're feeling better...?"

 _I hope he's absolutely struck with a deadly illness,_ Aaron thought bitterly, _I wish it would infect me so I could get out of here VIA ambulance._

"Of course, I wouldn't want to put you in danger of the flu." James sounded so friendly. Aaron hated it. He hated having this friendly encounter-- it made him feel excluded. As though this was normal and he was the only person having a problem with it.

 _Maybe that is the case,_ Aaron thought, staring a little more intently at the table. _Maybe I am the problem in this situation._

"How thoughtful," Thomas chuckled, then seemed to consider the moment for a second and turned excitedly to Aaron, "say, Burr, you've been a little cold recently? Could that be a sign of anything major?"

 _That's because I'm stuck in the damn basement,_ "Perhaps it's just me. I have a tendency to get cold."

"Perhaps," Thomas eyed him up-and-down in corner, frowning. What does he have to worry about? He could probably kidnap some other smuck after him.

 _Would you wish this on anybody else?_ Burr thought to himself.

James suddenly spoke up, "If it eases you, I believe warm baths will help give his body the kick it needs. Maybe more layers of clothing." 

Burr looked to James in surprise, watching as he scooped up the mac & cheese. Was he trying to help him? Or was he just making conversation?

"Do you believe more layers would... be necessary?" Thomas seemed hesitant to ask, as though resentful to the idea of having less of Aaron's skin showing. Aaron shuddered in disgust at the idea, quickly shutting himself up by shoving a biscuit into his mouth. He didn't want to think about this.

"I think it would be most beneficial."

 

* * *

  

It was cluttered. The sounds of people talking was overwhelming, but despite this, there was still the slight clank of glasses and patter of feet dancing to the beat of the band in the back. It was almost impossible to hear, but the beat of the drum and soft ting of cords were visible. There was a laugh in the back of the bar. Everybody was in their own groups, talking to each other, giving noisy giggles and casual compliments. It was a casual night at the PinkVinc bar.

There was a man sitting at the table, fiddling with his wallet as he dug out a five dollar bill to tip the bartender with. His hair was down to his shoulders, thick and black and tangled. He had a oval face, a dark, smooth complexion with a few freckles-- far too less to really notice on the first glance at his face. His brows were curved and crips, sharp and angled. He looked prepared to banter with anybody around, although the dark bags under his eyes proved to show that he's been having a few restless nights.

"Leaving so soon, Alexander?" The bartender asked, strolling towards him with swagger.

"I'm afraid I must, I was called in." Alexander replied, hopping off of the seat he was on and put the bill down. "Until next time." He nodded his farewell, offering a half-hearted smile and turned away to leave without another word. The music was getting too loud-- he could hear the thumping of the drums and the cords of the guitar far too well now. He didn't like it when things got too loud and blocked out one of his senses. He relied far too much on all of them to allow it. He exited the bar, heading straight to his car to drive off to his work.

Time seemed to go by faster then usual. Alexander wasn't sure if it was because of his lack of ability to think, or if it was because he was focused on driving too much. He decided not to ponder on it too much when he parked his car by his work and got out, locking the doors and rushing inside. Whatever he was called in for, it better be extremely important. He remembered specifically telling Washington that he wasn't taking any more bullshit run away cases. He's tired of getting the same teenagers saying they hated their life and wanted to escape it all.

 _If we all acted like they did, the world would be a fucking mess,_ He thought bitterly, storming up to his sergeant's office, giving half-assed hello's to his fellow co-workers. Alexander didn't bother knocking before he entered.

"What?" He huffed.

"Rough morning?" His sergeant, Mr. Washington, hummed, looking through papers and furrowing his eyebrows.

"Every morning's rough. What can I do for you, Sir?" Alex asked.

"We have an interesting case. A missing person, no lead what-so-ever." George looked to him, seemingly challenging him with his gaze, "Do you want it?"

"No lead? Are you trying to bait me, Sir? What, is this a runaway case in disguise?" Alex sneered, crossing his arms, "I said I _don't-"_ "His name is Aaron Burr. He lives alone, no family contact since he was 19, supposedly. He was reported missing by his friend. Are you going to take the case or should I give it to someone else?"

Alexander paused, furrowing his eyebrows and tapped his finger on his arm before sighing and walking over. "Yes, give me what you have."

"I have contact info and as much background as I could dig up. Nobody's gone to interview the friend who reported it, I thought I'd wait for you to do it." George explained, standing up and pushing all the papers he had been looking at into a pile. "Apparently a smart kid. Graduated at 20 years old."

"Graduated from college?" Alexander frowned, taking the file once Washington had properly pulled it together.

"Graduated from Law School."

 _"Jesus Christ,"_ Hamilton breathed, rushing to look over the files. He was handsome looking, but that couldn't be less important. Short for his age, that means someone could easily over power him easily, especially if he was weak. 

"Is there doctor records in here?" Alexander asked, "Anything about medications? Maybe he took too much of something and wondered, high off his ass."

"That'd be a good place to start after you get those interviews." Washington praised, nodding his head.

"Well, off I go then," Hamilton shut the file, quickly turning to leave with George following his tail, "The friend's address...?"

"In the file," George said, "and... Alexander," 

He looked back.

George's face turned strong, stern like a father, "Don't treat it like a runaway case."

"Of course," Hamilton hummed, fighting to keep his sarcasm back, "that would be against what I asked you to give me, wouldn't it?" 

Alexander turned away, walking to his car once again. He'll read the file there, then drive off to take an interview from whoever called it in. Hopefully this would be a quick search-the-security-camera type case, he didn't want to be on something dull like this for too long.


	6. Do what

"I believe it's time for me to leave, Thomas," James hummed, looking to his watch.

 _Thank God,_ Aaron thought. He's far too tired; he wants to lay down and sleep. Maybe he can encourage Thomas to let him sleep on the couch? 

_Don't get hopeful._

"Must you?" Thomas asked, frowning sadly.

"I must. I don't want my dear wife to worry for me." James smiled fondly, then turned to Aaron. Burr rushed to square his shoulders, eyeing him politely.

"You were a delight, Aaron," James said softly, "I do hope to see you again."

"I'll be here." Burr said back passive-aggressively, offering a false smile. 

He watched on from the dining table as James and Thomas arose, talking to each other about settling another time to meet up. They were making their way out, and Aaron was just about to hurriedly follow them in hopes to finally see the way to the front door, but Thomas turned to him hastily and said; "Why don't you take the dishes to the kitchen? Wait there for me, Burr."

Aaron stared at Jefferson in disbelief for a few solid seconds before nodding and standing up. Fine. Disobeying won't get him anywhere. As they left, he did as told and began to stack the plates and settle all the eating utensils on top. He cautiously walked to the kitchen, walking around an island that was seemingly smack dab in the middle of the room and quickly settled everything into the sink, rushing to wash his hands simply because he wasn't comfortable with leaving with the idea of touching Thomas's and James's plates. As he hurriedly scrubbed his palms, he glanced around the kitchen rapidly. He should memorize where things are; it could help him in the future. He stepped back and hurriedly rubbed his hands dry with the towel on the counter, roaming around the kitchen and opening random drawers. Tool drawer, junk drawer, and a drawer for the eating utensils. 

"So basic," Aaron mumbled, turning his head and froze at the knife on the counter.

 _Oh,_ he thought.

Aaron suddenly felt extremely jumpy. He didn't want to wait anymore. He wanted to leave now-- He wants to go home. He hesitantly reached his hand out, gripping the knife and holding it close to inspect. It looked shiny, the sun was gleaming off of it through the window panels. Aaron twisted the knife tenderly, trying to think quickly. Did he really want to do this right now? Did he want to fight? Should he wait a little longer?

"Aaron?"

Burr's shoulders tensed up. He whirled around, gawking when he found Thomas standing in the doorway.

* * *

"And... how long have you been friends with Aaron?" Alexander asked, looking up from his notepad and lifted a brow at the concerned glances shared between the two lovers before him.

"I've known Aaron since we were kids-- Um, I think we met when I was nine? I'm just a few years older then him." Matthias explained.

"I've known Aaron since college," Jon said, much softer and more collected then what Matthias was giving. Alexander could tell Matthias had taken his friend's disappearance heavily. Which was to be expected. 

 _Nothing new here_ , Alexander thought as he continued on, "Has Aaron ever had past experiences like this? Where he would leave abruptly?"

"No," Jon answered, though Matthias nodded his head frantically. Alexander watched as Jon gave a surprised look, seemingly confused at his response.

"He has?" Jon asked.

"I- it's so personal, baby," Matthias whispered, "He used to run away a lot. He used to really hate it at his Uncle's. But-- But he hasn't done it in years!" Matthias hurriedly looked to Alexander.

"How long have you two been dating?" Hamilton asked abruptly, lifting a brow and frowning.

"Excuse me?" Jon started.

"Speaking about Aaron hasn't come up once during this whole fiasco?" Alexander pursued, "Your friend is missing and you two haven't thought about talking about how or why?"

"... Aaron's a sore subject." Matthias said shakingly, "He's-- We haven't told him we were dating- I was hoping to tell him soon! But..." Matthias slowly glanced aside, clearly overwhelmed with the idea. 

 _Of course there's a hidden romance,_ Alexander thought, though kept his face calm and turned to Jon for him to continue.

"We've spoken about why Aaron might have done this, and let me reassure you, Officer Hamilton," Jon's tone instantly dropped low, "This isn't natural."

"People used to say that about Homosexuality." Alexander recalled.

"Are you insinuating it was? That he just decided to run away without telling anybody?" Matthias bursted, "That doesn't make sense!"

"Perhaps," Hamilton nodded.

"Listen," Jon said, catching Alexander's attention once more, "For as long as I've known Aaron Burr, he has been nothing but stable. He's smart; he'd ask someone for help if he was having trouble. And he's damn well stubborn enough to force himself to deal with whatever he's trying to run away from-- _If_ he is. You're treating this like he just decided to leave when we know that's not what happen!"

Alexander let the words settle on him before he spoke. They were right. He was treating this like a runaway case-- this wasn't a runaway case. Aaron Burr left without a trace, his keys were on the ground in front of his apartment and his car was left at the establishment of which he lived in. He would have taken the car and drove off, that's what everybody else would have done. It doesn't make sense for a runaway case to not use their own damn car.

"You're right. I apologize." Alexander said carefully, sitting up straight, "I'm used to dealing with cases where people run away. Are you absolutely sure that Aaron couldn't have done that?"

Jon and Matthias shared a glance.

* * *

 Aaron stayed perfectly still, eyes widening as Thomas slowly approached him.

"Babe, what you got there?" Thomas asked quietly.

"Don't call me babe." Aaron hissed shoulders squaring as he tightened his grip on the handle of the knife, carefully keeping Thomas away from him via making sure the island separated them.

"Aaron, c'mon now, put that down," Thomas's eyebrows furrowed. He was trying to understand the situation.

 _You finally have the upper-hand,_ Aaron thought, raising the knife menacingly and glowered. "Stay away!"

Thomas's whole approach to the situation changed in an instant. His cautious tone turned to one of anger and he clearly got riled up about being threatened with his own kitchenware. Aaron watched as Thomas made a sharp motion, running around the counter to catch him. Burr reacted without thinking-- he threw his arm in any direction and winced back when he felt the blade slash through whatever he hit. Aaron didn't bother checking if he got Thomas or not, he dropped the blade and booked it out of the kitchen. He cant run with a blade, it'll just put himself in danger. 

 _Run! find a hallway and just keep going!_ Aaron thought, running past the dining room and past the basement where he was kept. He ran past the living-room and into a hallway that had a clear left turn. Burr never trusted left turns, but he saw Madison and Thomas come through this way, so it's safe to assume that this was the direction to the front door. Aaron dug his heels into the ground to keep himself from falling as he made the quick turn, bounding forward and even deeper into the hallway. It seemed to lead to a bigger living room-- Perhaps this was the way to the front door. Perhaps that was the entry way.

 _It looks big enough,_ he thought, allowing himself a moments thought as he scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. He tried to listen to Thomas as he glanced, but it was far too loud. His beating heart was far too loud. His pants-- he shook his head clear of the thoughts and book it to a door he considered to look like a front door. It wasn't wooden, that was a good indicator. Nobody would have their front door be wooden; not in todays age, he hoped. Aaron rushed to turn the knob, stepping in before he bothered looking and shut the door instantly.

 _It's dark,_ Aaron thought, glancing around blindly and gently brushed his fingers along the wall to search for a light switch. When he found it, he rushed to flick it forward and turn around to study the room. 

Instantly, he was faced with a dark figure. It was covered in fur, eyes black and bulging. It's teeth were long and pointed, lip curled back and bared, prepared to snap its jaws at him-- Aaron realized with absolute horror that this creature had it's back curved. It was hovering _over_ him. He screamed, throwing himself back and slammed into the wall. Quickly, Aaron ran out from under the monsters clutches and whirled around to face the creature, swallowing thickly as he watched the unmoving object. He furrowed his eyebrows, glancing around the room and held his breath. It looked like a bunch of hunted trophies; deer heads and pelts of animals hanging around the room.

 _Jesus christ,_ Burr thought in terror, whirling to look around for any sign of a way out. He needed to leave _fast._

 _A window!_ Burr realized, running forward and kicked aside the smaller stuffed animal skins so that he could come closer to the window. He hurriedly unlocked it, throwing it up and leaned forward to look around. He was just a few feet above the ground. 

 _Go go!_ Aaron thought, quickly starting to climb out. He could feel a soft breeze against his skin-- despite it sending a sharp shiver down his spine, he took in a deep breath as he moved to swallow down something fresh. It felt so nice to be outside again. As he wiggled his two arms out , he reached down to touch the ground, wiggling his hips to squeeze out from the window. He's feeling grass. He felt an overwhelming amount of joy for the outside world; he was so happy to see the blue of the sky and feel the warmth of light on his skin.

The flooding of emotions seemed to leave instantly when he felt a hard grip on his hips and nails dig into his skin.

"NO!" Aaron screamed, hissing in pain when he was forcefully jerked back into the room. He felt sharp streaks of sting go up his sides and stomach, but he didn't have time to mind it.

"Stop, Aaron!" Thomas hollered, seemingly as equally frustrated.

"Get the hell off of me!" Burr snapped, throwing himself onto his back and kicked at Thomas when he tried to make a grab for his arms-- he scraped his foot against the slice on the brute's arm. Instantly, Jefferson stumbled back and held onto his wound, hissing in pain. Burr rolled onto his knees and hands, scrambling up and running around him and out of the room.

 _I was so close!_ He thought irritably, heart thumping in his chest.

Aaron's world was suddenly spinning. He felt light headed. He wanted to sit down and breath. Burr looked around rapidly, trying to figure out which direction was the right one and see through his swimming vision. He stumbled after taking a few quick steps, throwing an arm out to catch onto a wall. He felt _incredibly_ light headed--

"Aaron, stop moving," Thomas hissed, voice flooding his ears. Burr whipped around, widening his eyes as Thomas neared him and reached his arms out.

 _"No!"_ Aaron screamed, shaking his head frantically and slapping away Thomas's arms as he repeatedly tried to make a grab at him, shoving at his chest harshly and stumbling backwards. "Don't touch me!" He exclaimed, quickly hugging himself and squirmed frantically when Thomas threw his arms around him, pulling him close into his chest and restraining him by placing his chin on his head and squeezing him tightly.

"I won't tell anyone!" Aaron gasped, suddenly unable to breath with the tightness around him, "I won't-- I won't come back! Just let me go! I just want to go home," He felt his eyes begin to tear up. His face felt so hot. He tried to wiggle his way out, but he suddenly felt a sharp prick against his shoulder and instinctively froze. 

_"Wh-What're you--"_

"Shh, Darling, shh." Thomas hushed, clearly trying to relax Burr as a state of limpness overcame him. Aaron's eyelids dropped, feeling as though he was going to drop into a fast sleep. His brain was just barely functioning, it was starting to drown him in nonsense. Thoughts that didn't make sense were fluttering up, and finally he had successfully dropped into a slumber and became dead weight in Jefferson's arms.

"Shh, good job baby. Just sleep. We'll talk when you wake up."


End file.
